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Light, Humorous and/or Romantic Fiction

Light, Humorous Fiction | Chick Lit | Romantic Fiction

Light, Humorous Fiction

Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity�s Death � A charming tale that includes a ghost, a cottage in the Cotswolds, a stuffed bunny, and a fairy godmother. Need I say more?

Aunt Dimity and the Duke � Sequel to the above and almost as charming. Unfortunately, the rest of the sequels are awful. Stay away.

Lynda Barry

One Hundred Demons - Part autobio, part fiction, all cartoons and funny and charming and incredibly moving and a wonderful look at growing up. Fabulous.

Christina Bartolomeo

Snowed In - Though the plot description may sound a bit dull (freelance writer moves to Portland, has marital problems, joins a walking club), this endearing, subtly humorous book is filled with wonderfully vivid, believeable and sympathetic characters, particularly Sophie, who starts out unassertive and mildly neurotic, but develops backbone and courage.

Maeve Binchy

Binchy writes sweet, Irish tales people with heaps of memorable characters. Like a big, cozy quilt in book form. All of hers are recommended, but especially: Circle of Friends, Glass Lake, Evening Class, Tara Road, and The Return Journey.

Night of Rain and Stars - Set on the Greek island of Aghia Anna, this novel revolves around four tourists from England, America, Germany and, of course, Ireland. After a tragedy occurs on the island, the four find themselves caught up in island life and reluctant to leave. Love blossoms, family troubles spark and are resolved, colorful island folk add their two cents and the whole novel is just delightful.

This Year It Will Be Different � Best Christmas short story collection ever. These stories have a definite edge and are infused with dark humor. Mothers who feel that their hard holiday work goes unappreciated should definitely check this collection out.

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Paula Marantz Cohen

Jane Austen in Boca Raton - Best Jane Austen retelling since Bridget Jones's Diary. In a retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida, three widows look for love, companionship and marriage with varying degrees of success. Memorable characters, particularly the retired librarian-Elizabeth Bennet character of Flo.

Patrick Dennis

Auntie Mame � Witty and gay (no other word fits so well) tale featuring one of the most memorable and endearing characters of all time.

Joyous Season � Dennis tells a vivid, comic tale of precocious children, wacky families, Christmas and divorce.

Penelope Fitzgerald

At Freddie�s � Freddie runs a theater school for children in London. Filled with heaps of trenchant observations about acting and actors.

Olivia Goldsmith

The Bestseller � Okay, not non-fiction, but a great fiction book that does an excellent job of exposing the publishing industry. Great fun.

Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Social Crimes - Tale of a jilted millionaire's wife who attempts to get her money and her power back. Like a fifties women's movie (Mildred Pierce) in book form. Soapy and dishy.

Chris Monroe

Ultra Violet: Ten Years of Violet Days - Another cartoon book (see also Lynda Barry) that perfectly evokes (my) childhood. From her tales of the State Fair to her reminiscences of her childhood crush on Mark Hamill to her tips on surviving winter, it's as if she's drawing my memories.

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Nick Hornby

About A Boy � Guy lies about having a kid to pick up chicks. British, funny. Also a good movie.

High Fidelity � Guy thinks a lot about his past and present relationships. Makes a lot of music lists on the way. Really, a better movie, but still worth reading.

India Knight

My Life on a Plate - Married mummy asks, "Is that all there is?" Quite clever and has a (relatively) unexpected ending. Knight writes refreshingly distinctive characters and has a charmingly self-deprecating narrator.

William Kotzwinkle

The Bear Went Over the Mountain - Cute satire about the publishing industry that includes lots of giggle out loud moments.

Elinor Lipman

Lipman writes witty novels filled with vivid, memorable characters. Some of her best are:

The Inn at Lake Devine � Woman battles anti-Semitism is her own special way. Lipman's very best book yet.

Ladies� Man � Tale of three sisters, all spinsters and living together in Boston.

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift - Overworked surgical intern gets involved with a con artist.

Isabel�s Bed � Shy writer takes ghost writing position for scandal queen.

When She Found Me � Shy teacher sought out by her gregarious birth mother.

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Jeanne Martinet

Truer Than True Romance - This author takes old romance comics, removes the dialogue from the bubbles, writes new modern stories and fits the dialogue into the existing comic art. The result is utterly hilarious. Laugh out loud fun.

Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City � Originally published in serial form in the SF Chronicle, these six books follow the adventures of a group of friends from the 70s through the 80s. Incredibly addictive.

Maybe the Moon � Cadence Roth is an actress and singer, the shortest woman in the world, and a fascinating, witty character. Fabulous book.

The Night Listener � Excellent novel involving a writer and a sick boy. Extremely suspenseful and heartrending. (Clearly, not so light.)

Stephen McCauley

The Object of My Affection - Endearing and funny tale of a complicated straight woman � gay man relationship.

Dodie Smith

I Capture the Castle � Coming of age tale narrated by the 17-year-old daughter of an eccentric family living in a castle in England. Almost unbearably charming.

Jacqueline Susann

Valley of the Dolls � Dishy, frothy and wildly overwrought. Really fun to read out loud.

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Sue Townsend

The Queen and I - What happens when the royal family is voted out of power and goes on the dole? Hilarity ensues.

The Secret Diaries of Adrian Mole Age 13� - British kid learns about life. Very funny.

Adriana Trigiani

Lucia, Lucia � Charming story of a seamstress in fifties Manhattan. A lovely portrait of mid-century New York City with lush descriptions of clothes, social life and featuring a strong, independent woman while still remaining within the cultural realities of the time period.

Calvin Trillin

Tepper Isn't Going Out - Quirky and deadpan, this novel is all about NYC. Tepper likes to park on the street and read his paper while other motorists curse and swear at his "not going out." He soon becomes a celebrity and hilarity ensues.

Connie Willis

Miracle and other Christmas Stories - Great collection of Christmas-themed short stories. Excellent writing, good stories and memorable characters.

Lolly Winston

Good Grief - It's been seven months since Sophie's husband's death--at 36, she's an awfully young widow and she's not coping well. The charm of this book is in Winston's skillful depiction of Sophie's offbeat sense of humor and hilarious inner monologues. An unexpectedly delightful book about death and loss.

P.G. Wodehouse

All, but especially any tales of Jeeves and Wooster, such as:

Life with Jeeves � Collection of three Jeeves novels � extremely witty stories of an upper-class twit and his vastly more intelligent butler.

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Chick Lit

Meg Cabot

The Boy Next Door - Columnist chick has romantic troubles and hilarity ensues. Told completely through emails sent by and to gossip columnist Mel Fuller, this laugh-out-loud funny novel is an absolutely delightful read.

Every Boy's Got One - More emails and notes from characters tangentially related to those in The Boy Next Door. Girl cartoonist travels to Italy for her friend's wedding. Romantic troubles and hilarity ensue.

Jenny Colgan

One of the most genuinely funny authors of chick lit, Colgan creates interesting, believable, quirky (but not too quirky) characters relationships and writes truly hilarious dialogue. As soon as I finish reading her books, I wish I could start all over again.

Amanda's Wedding - Chick's snobbish, bitchy friend is marrying chick's longtime crush. Wedding sabotage attempts, much drinking, and yes, hilarity ensues.

Looking for Andrew McCarthy - Chick hits 30 and wonders why life is not a John Hughes movie. Thinks a road trip in America to find Andrew McCarthy is a good solution.

~New!~The Boy I Loved Before - Cute romantic comedy fantasy. Flora attends her friend's wedding with her boyfriend, runs into her high school ex, makes a wish, and wakes up the next day as her sixteen-year-old self.

Claire Cook

Must Love Dogs - Fortyish chick with big quirky Irish Catholic family undergoes dating travails (including accidentally answering her father's personal ad). Great characters, hilarious situations, and sweet storyline.

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Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Unwed � Young, single girl who loves shopping gets hit by a car and wakes up in the morgue as a vampire. Very funny chick lit, very untraditional vampire story. An very enjoyable, fun read.

Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones's Diary - Chick keeps diary of alcohol use, weight gain and romantic troubles. Loosely based on Pride & Prejudice. The book that started it all. Utterly hilarious and utterly re-readable.

Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason - The sequel. A pale imitation, based this time (even more loosely) on Austen's Persuasion. Noteworthy for the utterly hilarious scene in which Bridget Jones interviews the actor Colin Firth about his role as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

~New!~ Deanna Kizis

How to Meet Cute Boys - Narrated by Benjamina Franklin (!) a writer for the Glamour-like magazine Filly, the novel is interspersed with quizzes and articles. Ben and her publishing friends live in L.A., attend fashionable parties and, in general, try to meet cute boys. Great characters and realistic but funny dating situations add up to a great chick lit read.

Sarah Mlynowski

Milkrun - The charm of this book is in the frenzied and hilarious inner monologue of Jackie, romance novel editor and recent dumpee. From when she meets a cute guy who tells her he's a writer: "Omigod, omigod. Fifty years from now we'll be sitting on a porch swing in the sunset. I'll be helping him with his latest manuscript. Maybe in a house hidden by a hill. Maybe in a little shack like in Little House on the Prairie, only with indoor plumbing and a computer and a ceramic-topped stove�and a piano. Definitely a piano (maybe I should start taking lessons now). I'll be there playing the piano; he'll be there paying the bills. And we'll collect things like ashtrays and art. I have d�j� vu. Oh, never mind. Those are lyrics from Annie."

As Seen On TV � In this chick lit, a twenty-something girl moves to New York finds herself starring on a reality television show. Refreshingly, it focuses on the character's family and work life as much as (if not more than) it does on her romantic relationship. The author has a nice ear for dialogue and has created a very likable and fairly self-effacing narrator.

Liane Moriarty

Three Wishes � An utterly delightful chick lit. Lyn, Gemma and Cat are triplets in various stages of matrimonial and romantic drama, as well as drama in their relationships with each other and their parents. Fabulously endearing characters, fabulous quotes about being a sister. Must read.

~New~ Shanna Swendson

Enchanted, Inc. - Seamlessly blending fantasy and chick lit, this novel is about Texas girl who moves to NYC and gets a job with a company that creates magic spells. Endearing characters, hilarious situations, and despite the presence of magic and talking gargoyles and kissing frogs in Central Park, far more believable than most chick lit.

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Romantic Fiction

Jennifer Crusie

Welcome to Temptation - Excellent contemporary romance about two sisters filming a movie in the small town of Temptation, Ohio. Strong female characters, realistic but swoony romantic leads, interesting secondary characters and a well-crafted plot all add up to a great romance.

Faking It - Sort of sequel to Welcome to Temptation. Equally funny and charming, if not even more so.

Manhunting - Although this novel involves golf and a goal of meeting rich, powerful men, it's quite a charming novel. Mostly, this is a testament to Crusie's skills with humor and characters, but it certainly doesn't hurt that the hero was the spitting image of Luke Danes on Gilmore Girls.

Strange Bedpersons - This story about activist hippie Tess and her ex boyfriend lawyer Nick is full of lots of snappy dialogue, realistic behavior and good laughs.

Lynn Kurland

Kurland writes time-travel, paranormal and historical romances. Most are about the members of two large, sprawling families and characters from one novel make appearances in other novels.

If I Had You - Kurland does not disappoint in this medieval historical romance. Features some of the same characters as This Is All I Ask.

The More I See You - Time travel romance about a contemporary woman traveling back to 1260. And yes, meets a handsome, battled-hardened knight.

Stardust of Yesterday - Funny and charming ghost story about a woman who inherits an English castle that comes complete with a ghost. A very engaging and sexy ghost.

This Is All I Ask - Excellent historical romance novel about a plain girl sent to the legendarily dangerous "Dragon of Blackmoor." Though a bit more somber than her paranormal books, this is a very romantic tale with incredibly well-drawn characters.

Kasey Michaels

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - Story of a rich heiress who runs away from her life and ends up in a small town, working at the local diner. Filled with charming, quirky characters.

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Updated 2/26/06

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Email me at schka46[at]hotmail.com.

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